The Devil's Dance
by Brimstone the Wishmonger
Summary: After two whole years, Akiva decides to take a chance and find his beautiful yet mystery saviour once more. He goes to the Warlord's Ball, to be surrounded by the enemy. Does he find her? (Please note: all dialogue is Laini Taylor's, plus one part of mine, so I do not own the dialogue, or the main characters in the fanfic.) Anyway, please review and hope you like it.
1. Loramendi

He'd decided he would go, consequences be damned. He _had_ to see the chimaera girl again. For two years, he had wondered endlessly who she was, why she had saved him, and what her name could possibly be. Tonight he would go to her, whether it meant he died trying or not.

He had used the life she had spared him wisely. Akiva hadn't killed ever since the night at Bullfinch, no more ink added to his tallied fingers. Of course, Hazael and Liraz had asked who had put the tourniquet on his torn and bloody shoulder. He'd lied and said he didn't know, but he knew very well that the beautiful devil girl was real.

A few nights before, he had flown, glamoured invisible, towards Loramendi. From a distance, he had thought it a prison, with bars around the entire city which formed a dome-like cage. But close up, looking through the gaps, it was glorious. Two moons shone in the sky, one full and the other a slim crescent. Towering spires topped century-old architecture, and brilliant gardens rich with hundreds of brightly-coloured flowers grew throughout the winding streets. A towering cathedral stood out with eerie purpose, and behind him, fog surrounded the Adelphas Mountains, creating a blanket of white. A few chimaera walked the streets, while others soared through the air. _Thousands_ of lights that glowed like magic hung from the top of the cage, and dozens of hummingbird-moths milled around them in reverence. The Warlord's birthday was to be celebrated in a few days, and the lights were strung up in preparation, as well as the clearing of the Serpentine route, that led to the agora, the city's main gathering place.

Tearing himself from the sight, he'd reminded himself of his task. Even with bars set across the entire city, there were just short of a hundred guards posted on the outside for further security. Not that they were really doing their job. A few had dozed off, others were chatting, and the remainder had found something to fidget with to feed their boredom. They didn't notice his shadow in the moonlight, and all they felt was the heat of his wings as he hovered above. It seemed, that with the main war soldiers occupied, the guards wouldn't be much trouble at the ball. Unless they had the devil's eyes. Then he would most certainly _not_ be able to escape their grasp.

But now, it was time. Akiva was ready for the Warlord's ball.


	2. A First Dance

As soon as he'd made sure that Liraz and Hazael were gone, he took off to the devil's dance to meet his guardian... devil... once more. Luckily, this was a masquerade ball, so he wouldn't have to use glamour to disguise himself - other than his wings, of course. He wore a leather horse mask formed from magic, covering all of his face. His hands were gloved, to hide his marks and protect against the revenants' hamsas.

Once more, he flew over the Adelphas Mountains and its hidden Kirin caves, veiled by thick white fog. Through the mask's eyelets, he could see the guards posted outside the city's cage. They had increased the security by a few dozen, but they were broader, brawnier than the last. Still, it was worth the risk to Akiva, and he slipped silently through the bars into Loramendi.

The sound of music floated across the city, along with the smells of rich food, foreign spices and sweet delicacies. The lights twinkled like fireflies and the moons had both become half full, shining down onto the pavement. It looked to be that every chimaera was out for the night's celebration. Those with the head and torso of a human were considered high human aspect. Those with minor human features were creature aspects. Snake women; antlered jackal-headed giraffes; human aspects with lion haunches, frog-webbed fingers and eagle wings, amongst others who could only be identified as just a combination of scales, fur and talons, made their way in the direction of the Serpentine.

Akiva had learnt to suppress fear, the hard way. But being surrounded by thousands, perhaps millions of the enemy was enough to make him a little edgy. Mostly, he was surprised at the warmth and joy that surrounded him, the laughter that rang through the entire city. Back home, he had never really been to a proper celebration. There had been one a few years back, but it had been grim and lifeless, everyone weary with the return from battle.

He descended behind a row of barrels next to what seemed to be a bakery, and removed his invisibility veil. He stepped out from behind the barrels and scanned for any that may have seen him. No one glanced his way, and continued on their way the Serpentine. He waited for a group of high human aspects to pass and followed.

His wariness faded when no one cast him any notice. As he followed the group to the Serpentine, the creatures spoke in excited conversation, gossiping. Akiva understood the language, ironically, but terribly, which he'd learned from the slaves back in Astrae.

"- I heard Thiago has claimed her! That he is to engage her tonight."

"That girl is lucky... She might even grow old in that body! Won't they be such a delightful couple?" At this point, the other giggled in agreement. "What are we going to wear to their wedding?"

The conversation wore on, and finally they reached _some_ part of the Serpentine. Lines of dancers had already begun down the pathway, keeping up with the upbeat, celebratory music. Akiva knew there would be no use to look for the girl, when millions of chimaera were out on the streets. He would have to work his way down the line. With a sigh, he made his way toward the dance.

Yet somehow, amongst the dancing chimaera, he spotted her instantly. She was a full head above the rest of the dancers. Her smooth black gazelle's horns curled behind her, her soft dark hair as short as fur, or swan down. Her large brown eyes that reflected the warm yellow lights decorating the cage, were bordered by a black bird mask, covering her whole face except for her lips and chin. She shimmered in the light like a diamond, and the thin blue dress she wore left little to the imagination. Bat wings protruded from her back and her long smooth legs shifted at the knees from flesh to gazelle's fur and hooves.

She was beautiful.

But she danced alone, and didn't look to be enjoying herself in the slightest. Her unmarked hands swayed at her sides, and her legs did the dancing for her. She looked around nervously, as if she were looking for someone she didn't want to meet. Still, Akiva had somehow found her in the midst of millions. He felt giddy with relief, or even amazement.

As the song finished, and changed to the next, Akiva decided to to take a chance. He swooped in and took her by the elbow, his hand seemed to glide over her skin seamlessly. The touch gave him a warm, fizzling sensation. She was even more lovely up-close. Her eyes were warmer than a summer night in Astrae. She looked up at him, her head cocked to the side like the bird her mask depicted. She put her hand on his shoulder and nudged his mask with hers, like he had seen the other partners do. Following the lead of others, he spun her once around and moved them along in the line of dancers. He protected her from the shoving of the larger creatures, and danced with her even after the other partners had changed.

She didn't move away, and proved to be a wonderful dancer. When the song slowed, they found themselves near the end of the Serpentine.

She peered up at him with her sparkling brown eyes, her cheeks flushed beneath her mask as she smiled a dazzling smile.

"Thank you," she said, breathless. Her voice was like music to Akiva's ears. Soft and melodic, just as it had been two years before.

"My lady, thank _you_. The honour is mine," he said in the chimaera tongue. It was a harsh and guttural language, but it rolled off his tongue easily from years of practice.

"You're braver than the rest, to dance with me."

"Brave? Are you so ferocious?" Akiva cocked his head to the side and grinned.

She laughed. "Terrifying. Apparently."

Akiva still didn't understand.

"You don't know who I am," she said, disappointed. It was more of a statement than a question.

Beneath his mask, he smiled. He bent toward her, so his mask muzzle brushed her ear.

"I know who you are. I came here for you."

"Did you? Tell me then, Sir Horse. Who am I?"

"Ah, well, that's not entirely fair, Lady Bird. You never told me your name."

"You see? You don't know. But I have a secret," she tapped her mask with a smile. She whispered, "This is a mask. I am not really a bird."

Akiva feigned surprise and reared back, never taking his hand off her arm. "Not a bird? I am deceived."

"So you see, whatever lady you're looking for, she is all alone somewhere, waiting for you." She paused, and with an air of resignation she said, "Go on. Go and find her."

Was she sending him away?

"I've found who I am looking for," Akiva said. "I may not know your name, but I know you. And I have a secret too."

She hadn't seen his eyes yet. She would recognise him for his eyes, surely, but he had been careful as to not let anyone see them. It would practically scream, _angel alert!_

"Don't tell me. You're not really a horse?" she asked with a quirk to her lips.

He smiled, though she could not see. "It's true. I am not really a horse."

Now she was curious. Her eyes roamed over him, possibly to see if she knew him, or remembered him from some place. "And what are you?"

"A seraph angel," he said quietly, but his response was engulfed by the sound of trumpets nearby.

She was very close now, and she felt the heat emanating from him. She flushed and pulled away, but the dance continued with them, pushing her back onto his chest. His arm took the brunt of the bustling crowd of dancers as they were pressed forward.

With his voice low, he said, "I came here to find you. I came here to thank you."

"Thank me? For what?"

Akiva could see the agora up ahead. This was where the actual ball took place. Those who were there already swayed a slow dance, and the music was harmonic, the piping soothing, creating a serene setting. Typical, for the celebration was for a man that mutilated angels and kept their wings for trophies.

He leaned closer, so he could speak quietly without being overheard. "I came to thank you for saving my life."

She was still fitting the puzzle together, when he said something else.

"I took your recommendation. I lived."

She whipped around to look at him. Then he lowered his head, his eyes finally meeting her gaze, and she figured it out.

"You," she whispered.


	3. Recognition

She took a shaky breath and looked around in panic. "You're mad to be here. Why did you come?"

 _I was drawn to you. I thought about you over and over again for the last two years. I_ needed _to see you again._

"I told you, I came to thank you," Akiva said instead.

She was skeptical, and her eyes widened even more than before. "Assassination? You'll never get close to the Warlord."

" _No_. I wouldn't tarnish the gift you gave me with the blood of your folk," he said solemnly.

He looked around at the agora. Children's laughter and smiling couples surrounded him. Tables of the food he smelt earlier and beverages of bright colours were placed on grand tables placed at the outer corners. Gecko-crabs scuttled and beetle-rats scampered across the ground, scavenging for food.

"Gift?" she said incredulously. "You hold that gift lightly, coming _here_ , into certain death!"

"I'm not going to die. Not tonight," he said. "A thousand things might have stopped me from being here right now, but instead, a thousand things _brought_ me here. Everything lined up. It has been easy, as if it were meant-"

"Meant!" she said, amazed. She huffed. "As if _what_ were meant?"

Akiva's blazing eyes lit up even more, with amusement. "You. And me."

Her neck flushed and let out an uneven breath. She took a few moments to think.

"You're mad," was all she said.

"It's your madness too. You saved my life. Why did you do it?"

It was a fair question. Her brow furrowed in thought. Why did she save the angel?

Before she could answer, he continued. "And tonight. A million souls in the city, I might not have found you at all. I might have searched all night and never so much as glimpsed at you, but instead, there you were, like you were set down in front of me, and you were all alone, moving through the crowd and apart in it, like you were waiting for me. Don't you think that's more than a coincidence? And when you saved my life, no one else saw you help me, and I haven't been caught tonight. One angel amongst millions of chimaera. Meant to be."

The girl wasn't listening anymore. She looked worried. And terrified.

"You don't understand," she said as she turned around to scan the crowd. "There was a reason no one was dancing with me. I thought you were brave. I didn't know you were mad-"

Akiva was confused. "What reason?"

She looked back at him with urgency in her eyes. "Trust me. It isn't safe for you here. If you want to live, leave me."

What? He hadn't come all this way just to leave. "I've come a long way to find you-"

"I'm spoken for," she blurted, wincing at her own words.

He frowned. "Spoken for? Betrothed?"

"As good as," she said. "Now _go_. If Thiago sees you-"

" _Thiago_?" Akiva recoiled with disgust. "You're betrothed to the _Wolf_?"

As soon as he'd said the words, a jackal-headed creature aspect with bat wings and caracal haunches came up behind the girl and put her arms around her waist.

The girl's large brown eyes went wide and the blood drained from her lips. She'd thought it was Thiago. The creature behind her giggled, and the girl almost slumped with obvious relief.

"There you are. We lost you in the crush!" the creature aspect said. Akiva could see a lizard aspect right behind her.

Then she peered at Akiva with curiosity. "Hello."

The girl whipped around without a second glance at Akiva. "Some friends you are," she chided. "To dress me like this and then abandon me to the Serpentine. I might have been mauled."

"We thought you were behind us," the lizard aspect said defensively.

"I was," she responded. " _Far_ behind you."

She started to herd her friends away, as if trying to say, _Leave. Now._

He watched her exit. He wouldn't just leave. Not without learning her name, at least.

So instead, he moved to the side, and waited for his chance.


	4. Another Dance

Thiago _was_ the White Wolf. He wore a wolf's head, its grotesque display of teeth ending at his brow. His combed white hair splayed across his broad shoulders, his satin vest and suit pure ivory. He lived up to his name. His icy blue eyes watched the girl as she danced with her friends in the next section. He leered at her body, slim and gorgeous, settling in certain places for far too long a time.

Akiva couldn't stand to watch it play out. He risked another dance with her, this time with a different mask; a tiger's. He had to keep changing his looks to make sure no one paid any extra attention to him.

He entered the dancing line, and danced through three partners before arriving to her side. He clasped her hand in his. Her pulse jumped.

"Tiger suits you better than horse, I think," she murmured with a smile, without having to look at his eyes.

"I don't know what you mean, lady. This is my true face," he replied, content with being with her again.

"Of course."

"Because it would be foolish to still be here, if I were who you thought." Akiva couldn't help but smile.

"It would. One might suppose you had a death wish."

Akiva shook his head. "No. A life wish, if anything. A different sort of life."

She looked up at him through long lashes.

"You wish to be one of us? I'm sorry, but we don't accept converts," she said lightly.

He laughed. "Even if you did, it wouldn't help. We are all locked in the same life, aren't we? The same war."

"There is no other life." She tensed. They were in Thiago's area. Akiva increased his grip on her hand, until she could look away from the White Wolf.

"You need to go," she said quietly. "If you're discovered..."

He weighed the chance of being discovered. Very likely, if he stayed.

"You're not really going to marry him, are you?" he asked.

"I... I don't know." She lowered her eyes in shame. The thought of her marrying such a vile creature... Akiva didn't want to think about it.

As part of the dance, he tried to twirl her under the bridge of their arms, but her horns interfered, so instead they released their fingers and joined them again after the spin.

He looked her in the eyes. She stared back.

"What's there to know?" he asked. "Do you love him?"

"Love?" She laughed, then stopped quickly to avoid drawing any of Thiago's attention.

"It's a funny question?"

"No. Yes. What's funny is that you're the first to ask me that."

"Forgive me. I didn't realise chimaera didn't marry for love," the angel teased.

The girl was quiet for a moment. "We do. My parents did."

"So you are a child of love," he said. Akiva tried to imagine what he would have become if _he_ had been a child of love. He couldn't picture it. "It seems right, that you were made of love."

"And you? Were your parents in love?"

"No." He didn't want to explain. "But I hope that my children's parents will."

They kept dancing. The weight of his sentence hung in the air, until the girl remembered the original purpose of the conversation.

"Love is a luxury." She was defensive, and a line had appeared in between her brows, as if she were frustrated.

"Love is an element," he countered.

He believed it. Love was an element. Something _very_ real. Like air to breathe, and earth to stand on. Like fire all-consuming, and water to sustain. The craving and need for love was a force and he was drawn to it. Therefore, it was an element.

He left her to think about his words as the partners changed, and he was moved onto a donkey aspect with a rhinoceros mask.

He tried to find the chimaera girl, but she had disappeared into the horde of dancing creatures


	5. Madrigal

After a few more partners and a few more unsuccessful attempts to catch sight of her, Akiva excused himself from his partner and moved to the side of the ball. He saw everything far better from a distance.

Her ridged black horns appeared through the throng, and he conjured yet another mask.

Swiftly, he weaved around claws and horns and fur, until he found the girl again, who looked miserable. He wondered how many times he would get to dance with her tonight. When the partners changed, Akiva gently took hold of her hand, and she sighed in relief. He moved his hands to her waist and swept her off her 'feet', or rather, _hooves_.

After setting her back down, she looked up at him and whispered, "Hello."

"Hello," he whispered back, like it was their own special word.

She glanced at his new mask and smiled. It was a dopey human, with big ears and a red nose.

"Yet another face. Are you a magus, conjuring masks?" she asked.

"No conjuring needed. There are as many masks as there revelers passed out drunk." He didn't mention he actually _was_ a magus.

"Well this one suits you least of all," she teased. The angel noticed dimples, adorably, and decided to add them to his list of favourite things. Honestly, most of them were about her.

"Will you tell me your name, lady?" If he had to make a quick escape tonight, at least he would learn her name.

"Madrigal."

Madrigal. What a wonderful name. It was like tasting a new spice, or discovering a new genre. Such a beautiful name for a beautiful girl. It was the chimaera word for music. Ironic, considering her name was such music to his ears...

"Madrigal, Madrigal, Madrigal," he repeated, his eyes alight in wonder.

"And yours?" she asked with a sheepish smile.

"Akiva."

"Akiva," she said with a voice like warm caramel. Akiva had never thought of his name fondly, but after hearing Madrigal say it, he was open to anything.

He glanced around, to see Thiago, who was dancing with Madrigal's jackal-headed friend, staring. Not even at him, but at Madrigal, like he owned her. A dark thought entered his mind. Perhaps Madrigal _had_ accepted his betrothal. The thought disgusted him.

"You've done it. Accepted him."

Madrigal frowned.

"No. I have not," she said with defiance.

"No? He's watching you like he owns you." Akiva was glad for his stupid mask, or else Thiago would have caught his glare and the night would be over. Indefinitely.

"Then you should certainly be elsewhere-"

He noticed her dress. The back had been torn, the dress barely holding together.

"Your dress. It's torn," he noted with concern. Then he realised. Thiago. Akiva was furious. He would kill him. His leering was enough to make Akiva angry, but now he was livid."Did _he_ -"

He must have sent off heat, because she quickly said, "It's nothing. I'm not used to wearing such fragile fabric. This was chosen for me. I crave a shawl."

Akiva was terse with fury, but his hands remained gentle on Madrigal's waist. He looked down at her and let it go. She needed a shawl to protect her from Thiago's gaze.

"I can make you a shawl," he said softly.

She cocked her head, in a way that was birdlike.

"You knit? Well. That's an unusual accomplishment in a soldier."

"I don't knit."

From the top of the city's bars, the hummingbird-moths that hovered around the lights started to fly down, towards Madrigal. The first one landed with the touch of feather. She looked at it, and more began to gather around her shoulders and chest. Soon enough, she had a living shawl. The feathers were soft, of all different colours and shades. Pink, orange, green and grey, their lace like wings fluttering softly against her smooth skin.

"There you are, my lady. A living shawl," Akiva said with a slight nod.

Her eyes were wide, her mouth parted. She looked at him in amazement. "How-? You _are_ a magus."

"No. It's a trick only."

"It's magic."

"Not the most useful magic, herding moths," he admitted.

"Not useful?" she asked. "You made me a shawl."

He was about to say something when Madrigal started to laugh.

"They tickle! Oh no. _Oh_."

She laughed harder, as the hummingbird-moths continued to lick her. She wriggled her shoulders to get them off.

"What is it?" Akiva asked.

"Oh, make them go. They're eating my sugar."

" _Sugar_?"

She laughed again, and bunched up her shoulders.

"Make them go. Please."

Akiva tried to make them stop eating the sugar, or go back up to the light, and some of them circled her horns instead, but most stayed where they were. He gave up.

"I'm afraid they're in love. They don't want to leave you," Akiva said as he lifted his hand from her waist to brush the creatures away from her neck. And with a sorrowful voice, he added, "I know just how they feel."

Madrigal was swept off her 'feet' in more ways than one. Akiva lifted her off the ground and set her down again. Before she touched the floor, their eyes met through their masks. It was as if an electrical vault had shocked them both, and left a buzz in their veins that fizzled like champagne.

Only a few feet away, Thiago was still dancing with Madrigal's friend, turned away from them. The song was ending, and Akiva would have to give her to Thiago.

Madrigal's breaths quickened in sudden panic, and she tensed, ready to flee. Her sudden change sent the hummingbird-moths that remained flying, and Akiva noticed it too.

"Madrigal?" Akiva asked, worried.

She stumbled over her choice of words. "I want..."

Akiva knew what she wanted, and she wasn't the only one.

"What? What do you want?" He leaned closer, his tone soft, but urgent. Thiago was so close. He would see them escape, and take Akiva to be killed. Madrigal would be punished for treason. Maybe they weren't meant, after all.

Akiva stared into her eyes and took her hand. He would never be ready to let her go, but it was time for their last goodbye.

Then the fireworks went off. Everyone seemed to slow and watch the display. Thiago stopped dancing with his partner and looked up.

Madrigal's eyes went round with disbelief. She gripped Akiva's hand, and he nodded. This was their only chance. Keeping low, they ran, and escaped the Warlord's ball.


	6. Unmasked

In flight, Madrigal lead Akiva to Ellai's temple. Ellai was the sister to Nitid, and they were believed to be the legend of the two moons. Chimaera myths told the story of creation, just as the angels and humans did. Nitid was the goddess of tears and life, fertility and painless death, and led the chimaera to war. Then there was Ellai, the goddess of assassins and secret lovers, the dark nights with scattered stars, she was the phantom moon. Her temples were hidden, and she had far less than Nitid.

Madrigal told him the tale of why it came to be, and he laughed. He was incredulous.

"That is your legend? That seraphim are the blood of a rapist sun?"

"If you don't like it, take it up with the sun," she returned.

"It's a terrible story. What a brutal imagination chimaera have."

"Well. We had brutal inspiration."

They had arrived at the grove where the temple stood. They flew through the trees, which stood centuries old, the leaves rustling as they went past. The wind was light and warm, and in the distance, the temple's cavern gable became visible.

"Here," she said when they finally hovered above it.

They touched the ground with a small gush of dust and dirt, and faced each other. Akiva wished to see her, without her mask. He stepped forward slowly, and she leaned his way.

Akiva took his gloves off, his fiery gaze never wavering from her masked face. His fingers trailed from her arms, up her willowy neck to behind her head, feeling the soft brush of her hair as he untied her mask. At last, the mask was off, and he saw her lovely face completely.

Her face had hardly changed from two years before, with the addition of high cheekbones, accentuating her delicate features. Her creamy olive skin was flawless, unmarked. Her nose, in Akiva's opinion, was adorable, which he thought was strange, since noses weren't meant to be cute. Her mouth, which had only been partly visible before, now was shown to its full extent, generous and made for smiling.

He exhaled in wonder, and murmured a quiet, "So beautiful," because she was.

Madrigal looked at him through her long dark lashes and reached up to untie his absurd mask, and threw it behind her. She flushed to his inhuman beauty. He had honey brown skin, golden in the sun, bronze in the moonlight. Akiva was strong, with the sculpted body of the Michelangelo statue, or even a god. His cropped black hair ended in a widow's peak on his temple, unmarked by his many years. Then his eyes. Oh, his eyes. They were like gazing into a campfire, warm and inviting. Then his strong nose and lips, which Madrigal glanced at for a moment before meeting his eyes.

"Hello," she whispered.

It was a new beginning. Instead, _this_ would be the first time they met, not at war, not in the middle of a battlefield, but instead at the start of something, perhaps love, under the stars and moons.

"Hello," he whispered back.

Akiva just stared, and she stared back. They truly were meant, and they knew it.

Madrigal brought her hands against his solid chest, and his breath caught. Heat flared from him as his heart raced. The warmth surrounded them as she stepped forward, until they were only inches apart. Time slowed, and all Akiva saw was her.

Akiva enfolded his arms around her waist, bringing them even closer together. Their bodies barely touched, but it was as if something had sparked between them and caught ablaze.

Madrigal tilted her face up and whispered, "Hello."

He leaned down until their lips touched. Then he whispered against her lips, "Hello."

* * *

Once upon a time, an angel danced at the devil's dance, and tangoed with the lips of a chimaera girl.


End file.
